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Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2004 - 9:23 p.m.

Day 2 of our vacation, part 1 (yeah, I know- way to draw it out. Beats reading about the goofiness at my workplace, don�t you think?)

After waking up from a restless night of sleep (my strep throat was kicking into overdrive against the amoxicillin) Lease woke up before me. She went outside the cabin to the deck (for a morning smoke), and then came back in to wake me up.

Seem an unusual number of wild turkeys decided to comb the lawn around our cabin for insects.

How many?

Try around 20.

Wild?

That�s another question.

Here is a photo of a few of them, before Lease decided to feed them:

What did Lease feed them?

Bread.

Like Mallard ducks in the local kiddy pond.

And they ate it up. When we first went outside, all that was in the grass was hens. Once Lease started tossing chunks of wheat bread, three large Jakes (male turkeys, for those who have never heard the term) appeared:

They chased the hens away, so they could devour as much baked goodness as possible.

Just like most males, I might add�


Our first stop of the day was at Ripley�s (of the �Believe it or Not� fame) aquarium of the Smokies.

I debated whether the admission fee was too high (around $18 each). After spending over 2 hours wandering around this site, I knew we had received plenty of �bang� for our buck.

How so?

Well�.

They had one of those cool �walk through� chambers where sharks and other sea creatures swam around, inches from your face.

I couldn�t take decent pictures there due to the lighting. But let me assure you- the experience inside of this chamber was surreal. To have 5-foot long shark and sawfish slowly passing over your head is hard to describe. Just take my word on it- it was worth every penny.

Since I couldn�t take decent shots there, I tried to make up for it in other (better lit) areas of the aquarium.

There were several species of animals I have NEVER seen in my life, well taken care of and on display, in this living site.

Case in point:

This guy went by the generic name of �anglerfish�. I didn�t write down his Latin name, but I wish I had. Never in my life have I seen a stranger fish. The color shown here is how he really looked- bright yellow (with a pinkish, worm like lure upon his head) set out against the bright blue rocks in his habitat.

Very cool. Almost worth the admission fee, all by himself.

They also had a huge (at least 10,000 gallons) tank set aside for a coral reef. The magnitude of fish, swimming in schools around this enclosure, is hard to describe. I just wish the lighting there was stronger- most of the frames I spent on this spot are too fuzzy to pass along.

This one (of salt water Angel fish) might be worth a look:

Somehow, the movement (and blurring) works for me�


This is the famous Rockfish that so many people get ill eating every year(I have bottom-dwelling fish living around Mohall to make me sick, but not for the same reasons):

The fish is on the right, in case you can�t see it.

Great job of camouflage, Mother Nature�


Jellyfish:

Creepy�


Speaking of creepy:

Gee� I look so �life-like��


This was all before 1 pm on Tuesday.

You getting tired of our vacation yet?

I hope not, because I have late Tuesday through Sunday morning to still write (and show photos from) about.

Like I said- better than reading about the latest back-stabbings at NDDOT�.

Antique - Futuristic


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